The Directorate-General (DG) for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs is the European Commission service responsible for:

completing the Internal Market for goods and services;

helping turn the EU into a smart, sustainable, and inclusive economy by implementing the industrial and sectorial policies of the flagship Europe 2020 initiative;

fostering entrepreneurship and growth by reducing the administrative burden on small businesses; facilitating access to funding for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); and supporting access to global markets for EU companies. All of these actions are encapsulated in the Small Business Act;

Who we are

DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs is based in Brussels and has approximately 1,400 staff working under the political leadership of Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska. The Commissioner is also the EU’s SME Envoy tasked with ensuring that all EU policies respect the 'think small first' principle. The DG is managed by Director-General Lowri Evans. Her work and the work of the DG as a whole is supported by the Chief Economist Team.

Under President Juncker, DGs work together to achieve cross-cutting objectives, led by the Commission Vice-Presidents. DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs contributes to the following project teams:

The priorities of DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

To promote growth in Europe, we work to:

Ensure an open internal market for goods and services in the EU;

Improve the range, quality, and competitiveness of products and services on the internal market;

Strengthen the industrial base in Europe;

Provide sector-specific and business-friendly policies;

Promote industrial innovation to generate new sources of growth;

Ensure a modernised system for public procurement, which provides better access to public contracts on an EU-wide basis;

Encourage the growth of SMEs and promote an entrepreneurial culture;

Support the internationalisation of EU businesses;

Facilitate access to finance for SMEs;

Support the free movement of professionals in EU;

Support the development of global satellite-based navigation infrastructure and services (Galileo);

Promote the use of EU earth observation-based services (Copernicus).

Enterprise Policy Group

Commission Decision C (2012) 4386 of 4 July 2012 has set up the group of experts on Enterprise and SME Policies

In order to get advise on enterprise, SME and industrial policies, the Commission has set up a group of experts called the 'Enterprise and SME Policies Group'.

The tasks of the group are:

to advise for the preparation of legislative proposals as well as enterprise and industrial policy initiatives;

to establish cooperation between Member States bodies and the Commission on questions relating to enterprise, SME and industrial policies to monitor the evolution of policy in the field of enterprise, in particular as regards SMEs;

to bring about an exchange of experience and good practice in the field of enterprise, SME and industrial policy issues.

The group consists of two chambers; the 'Enterprise Policy Group' and 'The Network of SME Envoys'.

Enterprise Policy Group

The 'Enterprise Policy Group' consists of Directors Generals from Member States' public administrations who are responsible for industrial and enterprise policy issues.

The 'Enterprise Policy Group' meets 3 times per year. One of the meetings is a joint meeting with 'The Network of SME Envoys'.

The Commission may invite experts from outside the group with specific competence in a subject on the agenda to participate in the work of the group. In addition, the Commission may give observer status to individuals, organisations, EEA countries and candidate countries.

As part of the Commission's commitment to transparency, the Secretary-General publishes information on meetings held with organisations or self-employed individuals. Read more on information on meetings held by Director-General Lowri Evans.